On The Road
by ExplosionsInTheSky33
Summary: Burying her brother, Jason, was something Julie Taylor never thought she'd have to do at seventeen. Soon after, she gets a letter from him saying he wants to go on an adventure before she heads off to college. In his honor, Julie decides to go through with this adventure, by herself. That is, until Jason's former best friend gets caught up in the mess and ends up on the road too


Hi y'all thought this would be a good story to write and I hope you like it!

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This isn't real life.

That's what Julie Taylor kept telling herself in her mind. Those four words were the only reason she wasn't coming undone around all these people, well more like the entire town of Dillon, Texas. Those four words were the only reason she wasn't on the ground, sobbing until her body could not produce any more tears. Usually when the entire town was together it was for special events, or the ritual of a Friday night football game. Another similarity was that they were honoring a football player today, but not in a way that she would have liked.

They were burying her older brother today.

Jason Taylor is the epitome of what a "Town Son" was. He was the coach's son after all. The fact that Julie thought _was_ and not _is _was another reason there was a pang in her heart. Jason had always been a standout football player ever since he was in Pop Warner Peewee. It wasn't a surprise when he entered his freshman year of high school, that he was immediately recruited as a quarterback to play varsity football for the Dillon Panthers, one of the best high school football teams in not only the state, but the country as well.

He didn't start though. While the older boys play the position he longed for, Jason instead worked his ass off. Lifting weights not only when he was required to, but also whenever he had a spare moment. If he wasn't doing that he was watching game tape and studying the playbook, until he knew it as well as he knew the Bible. Finally, when he was a sophomore, and the starting quarterback graduated, their father, Coach Taylor, said that it was Jason's turn to the lead the team and become the starting quarterback. It wasn't a surprise when Jason thrived on the field, throwing Hail Mary's and helping the team win game after game until they won State. At the age of sixteen, Jason received his first state ring and it was probably the happiest moment of his life.

For the next two years, Jason was still the star quarterback and won Dillon two more state championships. This caused huge sports magazines such as, Sports' Illustrated to interview Jason whenever they had to chance and for standout college football programs like TMU, University of Alabama, and Notre Dame to wine and dine him, wanting him to be their next quarterback. Julie knew that ever since she could remember, Jason had wanted to play football at Notre Dame. He never told her why though; she always wondered why he wouldn't want to play for a team that seems to always win college championships like Alabama. When she pestered her about it, all he would ever say to her is "_Jules, I feel right when I think about playing 'ball there." _But instead, one night while she was eating dinner with Jason and their parents, Eric and Tami Taylor, that he wasn't going to play football in college, but instead join the army.

A gun shot immediately disrupted Julie from her thoughts. Every person who was in the armed forces was honored and given a ceremony at their funeral. Men in their dress blues, stood around the casket, shooting guns when ordered by their commander. Julie always hated the sound of a gun, even though she only heard it a few times when Jason and their Dad went on hunting trips, despite living in West Texas.

While the gunshots were going on, her mother, one of the strongest people she's ever known, was quietly crying was her younger sister, her Aunt Shelley, was holding her hand. Her father, stood there, emotionless with his around draped around his wife's shoulders. Next her was Jason's longtime girlfriend, Lyla Garrity, who was sobbing so loud; it could have drowned out the gunshots. Julie, just stood there, she tended to take after her mother when it came to showing her emotions, but today she was her father's daughter. Just standing there, looking at the glistening white casket that everyone was standing around. After the gunshots stopped. The bugle boy began to blow his horn. Julie thought he looked like he was younger than her, just a boy. The commander walked over to her parents and presented them the rolled up flag that every next of kin got when a solider lost their life. Her father took it, as she knew if her mother did, she would start to cry as loud as Lyla was.

When Julie finally looked up from staring at her shoes, she saw someone in the back of the huge crowd that she thought she would never see, Tim Riggins. Tim Riggins was Jason's longtime best friend, well now ex-best friend since they haven't been friends once Tim ditched Jason after he graduated from basic training. Julie gave a long look at Tim, as he looked essentially the same. Tall as Jason was, but had long brown hair that almost went to his shoulders and tan skin from the Texas sun. Tim was dressed nicely in a suit, which was a surprised since she'd hardly seen Tim in anything other than dark jeans and a dusty button down. However, Julie immediately frowned when she saw he was clutching a brown paper bag as if it was his lifeline. She knew it was his drink of choice, whiskey.

Tim was what people would say as the "bad boy" of Dillon. His family was a wreck. He lived with his older brother, Billy, who was regularly unemployed. His mother bailed when he was only eight because his Daddy was an abusive drunk, who bailed on his boys too when Tim was twelve. Despite this, he became a standout football player just like Jason, except he was a fullback with no direction. While Jason's goals were to play college ball, Tim's were try to not drink so much at the Smitty's, so he wouldn't over sleep and miss football practice the next morning. All the girls around town fawned over Tim. Tim basically had slept with every cheerleader and rally girl in the school, plus other girls. Julie didn't know what those girls saw in him. While they saw charm and a heart-stopping grin, Julie saw a cocky guy who picked on her. Jason and Tim were inseparable. Her mom used to call them Ying and Yang because they were so different, yet you couldn't have one without the other.

Tim basically lived at their house. They had a ritual Tuesday night dinners, where Tim would come over and eat his weight in food then watch or play football with Jason and their Dad. Her mother knew Tim needed an adult in his life and while her husband kicked Tim's butt on the field, she kicked his in the classroom, making sure he passed all his classes. After Jason left for basic training, right after graduation, Tim didn't go to college, even though there were recruiters lined up at his door, wanting him. Julie always wondered why he wouldn't grow up and play football, which he loved, at college for basically free. Julie hated Tim. How could a guy ditch his best friend for going in the army? She didn't agree with Jason's choice either but she knew when Jason had his mind set on something, he wasn't going to change it.

The service was finally over and now people were lining up and paying their respects to their family. She said her basic thank yous and thank you for coming today just like her family did. She felt the line of people was endless and was completely positive now that the entire town of Dillon was here. She rolled her eyes when she saw the next person come up. It was Buddy Garrity, Lyla's father and her Dad's best friend. Buddy was a former Dillon Panther who thought he knew everything about football. He owned the local car dealership. He walked up and shook her Dad's hand while his wife, Pam, hugged her mother, as they were good friends as well.

"Lyla, sweetheart, why don't you come home with us?" Buddy suggested. Julie could tell he was worried about his oldest daughter, Lyla was emotional, not in a bad way, but she and Jason had been an item since they were thirteen and everyone thought they would get married once he was down with his deployment. They were the couple that everyone strived to be like, even at their young age.

"No. It's fine. I want to stay with the Taylor's. It wouldn't be right." Lyla finally managed to say. You could tell she didn't want to leave Jason's casket. She hadn't seen Jason in months. Not just because of his deployment, but because she went to school at Vanderbilt, all the way in Tennessee.

"Honey. It's okay. You need some rest. You haven't slept in ages." Tami finally spoke up. You could hear the wheels in Lyla's head turning. She finally nodded and agreed to go home with her parents and her younger siblings. Not before setting a white flower down on Jason's casket and kissing it and saying "I love you," before walking away.

Finally the last person walked up to her family and she was surprised to look up and see Tim Riggins standing before her.

"Coach," he said in the a low drawl while looking at her father then turning to her mother "Mrs. Coach." Julie could smell the whiskey on his breath and it made her stomach churn. Her father shook his hand and said "Thank you for being here today, Tim." Her mother gave him a big hug. Julie wondered if it hurt her mother to do so because Tim had almost the same kind of build as Jason. "Jason would have been so glad that you're here today. We all are." Tim nodded and didn't say anything. He wasn't exactly a chatterbox when it came to his feelings. Finally he looked at Julie "Hi Jule," then hugged her. She didn't want him to hug her because she hated him for what he did to Jason but she did anyway. After they separated she looked at him and said "Hi."

After everyone left, The Taylor's finally put their white roses onto the casket and got into the Limo that would take them home. The entire ride was silent, besides her mother and Shelley talking about what a beautiful service it was and how they liked what the reverend said during it. When they finally got back to the house. They all went into separate directions. Her father went on the coach and put in some old game tape. Her mother went into her room and said she was going to take a nap and Shelley was going to go back to her hotel and change.

Julie didn't know what to do. She didn't want to go in her room because if she were alone she would just and not be able to stop. Not one tear had been shed since the news of Jason's untimely death, even though she was the one who answered the door when the two somber soldiers were there to give the awful news. The past two weeks she felt so numb, like nothing of this was real, but instead a bad dream. She hoped she would wake up from this nightmare and see Jason coming into her room, yelling at her for all the hair she shed in the shower, or something trivial like that.

Her and Jason's relationship was your standard brother and sister relationship. Being two years apart meant that they were stuck with dealing each in both their house and their school. Julie use to resent the fact that she was only known as "Jason's sister" or the "Coach's daughter, and for a while "Matt Saracen's girlfriend." She was never known as Julie the dancer, or Julie, the writer, or just Julie as a person. However, she didn't really resent her brother for it. He couldn't help that he was a star athlete and a star student. Jason had always been that guy who was naturally good at everything he did. Julie missed him so much. She would do anything from Jason to come in right now and tackle her and watch her try and fight back, despite her being almost a foot shorter than him, which always caused her to lose. All she wanted was for her brother to be alive, was that too much to ask for?

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"Julie, wake up." Her mother said softly. Julie moaned. She didn't want to get out bed. It was way too comfy right now and she felt like she just fell asleep. She opened her eyes and saw her mother standing their with her eyes all red and puffy, despite her clearly trying to cover it up with makeup. It all came back, like a wave, to Julie again. They buried her brother and it was real.

"What?" she asked

"A letter came in the mail for you." She said, holding a small letter in her hands.

"Is it from school?" asked the young blonde. In nine days Julie would be heading to her new home, UT-Austin, where she would be going school for the next four years to major in journalism. Despite hating West Texas and wanting to leave for years, she decided on the private institution because Austin was a different kind of city compared to the other ones in Texas. Austin was arty. They had tons of museums and art galleries that Julie couldn't get enough of, plus football was not their top priority, which was a relief since a football stadium was basically her church for the past seventeen years of her life.

"No hun…it's from Jason." She finally spit out. This took Julie aback. Jason wrote her? He never wrote her handwritten letters, only to her parent's when he was in basic training. Once he was deployed, they exchange letters through email and actually Skyped once.

"Oh," she said, just like the past two weeks, Julie didn't know what to say. "What does it say?"

"I didn't read it. It's addressed to you." Tami said. "I'll leave you alone to read it. If you want to come out, we're cooking one of the casseroles." Tami offered. Julie remembered that there was a stack of different kinds of casseroles that were in her freezer and the one in the basement. The past two weeks almost every woman in Dillon had stopped by and dropped off a casserole. Apparently food was the best medicine to help someone grieve.

"Okay, I'll be out in a little." Julie said. After her Mom left, Julie just stared at the letter. She didn't know if she wanted to open it. She was afraid this might be the catalyst that would make her cry. She had been waiting for someone to just make her sob until she couldn't stop. She finally decided she should open the letter since Jason must have a something important to say that he couldn't say through email. When she finally opened the letter, her heart began to ache once she saw her brother's scribbly handwriting.

_Dear Jules_

_Sorry I'm mailing you a letter right now. I know you've been probably waiting for an email, but the computers here have been messed up for a while and I didn't want to slack on sending you a letter. I got your last letter and I'm sorry about you and Matt. I know break ups are tough, but being single for a while can't hurt and you're starting a new life in Austin. Plus as an older brother I'm kinda glad you're single now, even though I thought Matt was a good guy, yet not good enough for you of course. _

_I wanted to make this letter about you going to college and trying to give you advice, but I don't really know what to say since I didn't go to college. I did visit Smash at TMU once and all I can say is please do not drink jungle juice. With you being so little and the affects of it, some guy is bound to take advantage of you (but I'd most definitely kill them haha). Anyway, this letter is about the things I want you to do before you go to college. Hopefully by the time you get this, you'll have a month left before you go to school. I was talking to a buddy of mine out here who's from New Mexico and he said right before he left for basic, he and his girl drove all the way to California just to see the ocean for the first time and do crazy stuff there. That's what I want you to do Jules. I want you to bring Lois or Tyra and just drive to the ocean and swim in it. While you're there I want you to do crazy stuff like learn to scuba dive or swim with the dolphins, whatever they do in California. I think you and your friends would have a good time and you deserve to be a little crazy right before you head to college._

_Don't worry about Mom and Dad though. They're probably going to say no at first, but just persuade them about this being some big learning lesson and the fact that you'll be with a friend won't hurt. Or just say I said it was okay since they obviously love me more than you (just kidding). What I'm trying to say is that you deserve to have some fun and I want you to go on this adventure that I couldn't get to do once I graduated. However, I hope you think I'm in the backseat the entire time so you don't do anything too crazy. I got to go now for rounds. Hopefully the computers starts working soon because writing all this is giving me a hand cramp. Tell Mom and Dad I say hi and I love them and I'll try to skype with them soon. Don't forget to hang out with Lyla before she goes back to school. She says she doesn't see you a lot since you're always lifeguarding. Remember Jules, I love you a lot and try to stay out of trouble. I don't want to kick your butt the second I come back to the States._

_Your Big Bro Jason_

Julie had must have read that letter five times before she put it down. The letter was so…Jason. In one letter he could, make fun her, be the protective older brother, give her advice, and get all sappy at the end. She smiled at the thought of him writing this, especially thinking he new he was a laughing when he was writing how their parents prefer him to her, as he always had since they were kids. She read his advice on what he wanted to her to do with the remaining days of her summer and she snorted. She had nine days left; there was no way she could drive to California and back in time for classes to start. Plus her parents would honestly kill her if she did. However, the more Julie thought about it, the more she wanted to go. This was Jason's last request of her to do something. He wanted her to do this, and so much that he spent the time and wrote it in a letter.

She began to think whether if it was possible or not. She had the time, if she drove most of the days she could make it to California and back in seven days and complete all the things Jason wanted her to do. She had a truck, well Jason gave it to her to drive since she didn't have one and he couldn't use it from being deployed. She made a lot of money babysitting and working at the town pool this summer, so that was covered. All Julie needed to do was convince her parents to let her do this and find a friend to go with her. Her heart fell immediately. She knew none of her friends could go. Mostly because she only had two friends. Lois left for college in Maryland the day before she got the news about her brother and Tyra was leaving for UT tomorrow. She knew she couldn't ask the tall blonde to go, it was miracle that Tyra was going to college, as she wasn't very driven, until she became her mother's pet project sophomore year. She could ask Lyla, but that would be awkward since she and Lyla weren't very close and her school was already in session. Asking Matt was out of the question as she could barely look at him in the eye as their break up was awkward since neither of them really had feelings for each other anymore and both were going to lead separate lives at other ends of the country.

Julie heart was set on going. She didn't know where this sense of adventure was coming from and was slightly ashamed how she wanted to leave her parents just after they buried her brother yesterday, but this was Jason's last wish and she needed to fulfill it.


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